Coal loading method and apparatus



June 2, 1931. H. ADAMS j 1,808,587 COAL LOADING METHOD AND APFARATUS Fi led Jan. 19, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l If 40 p Y i l i l i I I 4 '31 I37 n I i I i 1 2 E- b 1,, 3,,,,, L,: I

l INVENTOR Henry Md'qzns June 2, 1931. ADAMS COAL LOADING METHOD AND APPARATUS Filed Jan. 19, 1927 2 sheets sheet 2 INVENTOR fienryddm 5,

WM Q ANV; ATTORNEY Patented June 2, 1931' PATENT OFFICE HENRY arms, or rnamrmnn, NEW JERSEY COAL LOADING METHOD AND AP'PA RLTUS Application filed January 19, 1927. Serial No. 162,134.

This invention relates to methods and apparatus for. loading coal, coke and other friable material into cars, Wagons, barges,

pockets and the like, and more particularly to means for loading said materials in such a manner that falling, grinding and degradation will be reduced to a minimum. It is noted, however, that the invention is not limited to loading fuels or friable materials, nor in some respects even to loading.

One object of the invention is to provide a method and apparatus of this kind to load cars, wagons, boats and the like with coal. or

other friable material from a pocket or other place of storage, without letting the material drop or freely fall any considerable distance, thereby reducing the breakage or degradation to a minimum.'

Coal when loaded from pockets or the like into wagons, cars or boats under most methods today is allowedto drop the distance from the loading chute of the pocket down into the bottom of the wagon, car or boat, This fall or drop causes excessive breakage with the result that the consumer receives an inferior grade of article.

Some loading plants are equipped with collapsible chutes which are continually etting out of'order for some reason or anot er, and are difiicult to o erate. Other plants have a loading-boom lt-conveyor, the end of which is lowered into the bottom of the car or boat. This device is expensive to build and not easily operated, and ermits a drop of about two or three feet w en the coal leaves the end of the conveyor.-

The principal object of the invention is to provide a method and apparatus of this kind with which coal or the like may be loaded with 'a minimum of degradation.

Other objects of the invention are to improve generally the simplicity and efiiciency of such devices and methods and to provide an apparatus of this kind whichis economical, durable and reliable in operation, and inexpensive to manufacture.

Still other objects of the invention will appear. as the description proceeds; and

while herein details of the invention are-delimited to these, sinee many and various changes may be made without departin from the scope of the invention as claime in the broader claims.

The inventive features for the accom lish- 85 ment of these and other objects are s own herein in connection with two forms of an improved loading means, each of which, briefly stated, includes an exterior pocket I receiving material from a bin or the like and 00 having side walls and a delivery end, the latter delivering the material into the open side of a vertically adjustable main chutej disposed at said delivery end and havingop posite side walls, an outer wall and said open side communicating with the extension ocket, said chute having a slide gate at the ower part thereof. A vertical series of downwardly and inwardly inclined retaining plates secured fast between said side walls 7 near said open side and spaced from,each other, and from said outer wall to form a vertical passage to receive the material from the pocket, the plate nearest said end receivmg material from the pocket and directing it into said passage thereby to fill the passage and be retarded and controlled by said gate and the material-in the car, thereb to prevent any falling or breakage. T elower, edge of each plate is belowthe level of the 30 top edge of the next lower plate, thereby to prevent material fromvflowing out at said open side. I

A deflecting baflle secured to the under face 4 of said discharge edge is provided with an inwardl inclined deflecting lip, which just clears the, retaining plates as the chute is. raised, b suitable hoisting means, as the car or the H e fills up and serves to deflect any material which falls between the pocket and I whereby the trimmer chute may be disposed I in any lateral direction to permit the mate: rial to, be depositedin different parts of a v boat or the like, the slide gate being disposed across the bottom of the main chute. vJ

In the accompanying drawings, sho i i' o v way of example, two of many possible embodiments of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view, partly in elevation, showing one form of the chute used for loading a car from a pocket;

Fig. 2 is a transverse horizontal sectional View, the section being taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows of said line;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of another form of chute;

Fig. 4 is a fragmental vertical sectional view, partly in elevation, showing the main chute with trimmer chute;

Fig. 5 is a transverse horizontal sectional view, taken on the line 55 of Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the arrow of said line; and

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic side elevation showing the chute of Figs. 3 to 5 assembled to load material from a pocket into a boat.

My present invention is shown herein in combination with a storage means such as a coal pocket 10 having a forwardly slanting 'floor 11 and a front wall 12 and a vertical delivery chute 13 similar to that shown in my United States Patent No. 1,234,709 of July 31, 1917. A lower delivery opening 14 is provided with a sliding door 15 engaged in vertical guideways 16. The pocket orms no part of my present invention.

An outwardly and downwardl inclined washing apron or extension poc et receives coal or other material 21 from the opening 14 and has high side walls 22 having projecting end edge portions 23 (Fig. 2) projecting somewhat forwardly of the edge of the floor of the extension pocket.

The main features of the inventions are associated with the vertically adjustable main or floating chute 25 disposed at the discharge edge of the extension pocket and having a downwardly and outwardly inclined floor 26, opposite side walls 27 (Fig. 2) and an outer wall 28, leaving an-open side 29 communicating with the extension pocket.

Vertical slide rails or flanges 30 on the outer face of said projecting portions 23 are received in slide grooves 31 of vertically disposed elongated slide brackets 32 secured on said side walls 27. A pulley 35' placed above the level of the hi best position of the main chute receives a ca 1e or other flexible means 36 having one end connected to the upper end of the main chute, the other end portion being connected to a suitable counterbalancing weight 38 and motor M (see Fig. 6) whereby said chute may be easily lowered into or gradually raised from a suitable receptaclesuch as a car, boat, truck, bin or the like 37 to be loaded, or left in any position of vertical adjustment.

Said outer wall 28 has a discharge opening at the lower end thereof provided with a slide gate 39 disposed across said openings to which is secured an actuating member 40 sage and pile up the material in the exterior.

pocket 20 to prevent the flow of coal except as controlled by said gate 39 and the material piling beneath the chute, as the chute, initially at the bottom of the barge, is gradually raised. The lower inner edge 47 of each plate is below the level of the top edge 48 of the next lower retaining plate a short distance, depending upon the particular material, to prevent the material from flowing to the open side thereby to provide a void 49 at said side.

The gate 39 is opened after the chute is,

lowered to the bottom of the receptacle or car 36, whereupon the material is deposited upon the floor of the car, the chute being gradually raised only as the material piles up and the car fills, the body of the material in the chute resting on the material in the car to permit saig body to be retarded and gradually low-. ere Y 7 A deflecting baflle 50secured to the under face of the discharge edge of the exterior pocket downwardly extends slightly more than the vertical distance between adjacentretaining plates 45 and is provided at its lower'edge with an inwardly inclined deflecting lip 51, which just clears the retaining plates 45 as the chute is raised, and which serves as the chute is raised, to deflect into the chute any material which may fall from the retaining plate'onto which the material may be flowing from the exterior pocket.

An example of the operation is as follows: The coal or other material 21 is drawn from main pocket 10 through gate opening 14 and flows into the extension pocket 20 and from there flows into main chute 25, which is lowered by hoisting means until the slide gate 39 of the main chute is not over six inches from the bottom of the car 37, the gate 39 being initially closed. The coal flows over the retaining plate 45 opposite or next below the delivery edge of the exteriorpocket 20 and as it fills the passage 46 from retaining plate to retaining plate, the coal will flow somewhat between the retaining plates leaving the voids 49 between them according to the angle of rest of the coal or particular material. As the gate 39 in the main chute is smaller than the opening)14 from the pocket 10, the main chute may e filled with coal, as shown 1n the drawing, even when the gate 39 is openedwide, andthere will be a continuous flow of coal from main pocket into bottom of the car. The main chute 25 is raised just slowly enough by hoisting mechanism to keep the main chute just at or above the level of the raising pile of coal. Thus there will be no fall of the coal sufiicient tocause serious breakage. The hoisting mechanism can be adjusted to vary the speed of hoisting the main chute so that any desired speed of load- 7 ing may be obtained, with breakage reduced to a minimum.

Should the raising of the main chute be slow or cease entirely, the material piled up will merely retard the flow of material in the passage 46 and pockets 20 and 10, thus in this case also avoiding breakage.

From the foregoing description it is obvious that the apparatus may be operated as follows:

Starting with the chute 25 empty and the gate 39 closed, the chute may be raised until the slanting floor 26 isapproximately alined with the slanting floor 20. Then the gate 15 is opened, and the coal slides down the floor of the delivery pocket 20, and the slanting fioor 26 all without any fall or degradation. This continues till the coal touches the lowest bafile 45, whereupon the chute is lowered to let coal flow over the lowest baflie 45. This continues, with never any fall of the coal and continues until the next bafiie 45 is covered, and so on until the chute reaches the bottom of the boat or car as in Fig. 1. This method just described, of starting with the empty chute, is claimed in my copending application Serial No. 341,652, filed Feb. 21, 1929.

Then the gate 39 isopened and the coal flows, without any fall until the coal piles up in the car and retards the coal in the chute. The chute is then gradually raised to decrease the retarding effect to let the coal slowly flow without any fall until it is again piled up to retard the flow. The supply of coal from the pocket,and the discharge at the gate 39 are continued until the required quantity of coal is in the car, a continuous body of coal being maintained. Then the gate 39 is closed.

When the gate 39 is thus closed, it is noted that the chute 25 is filled with coal up to the floor of the pocket 20. Now it is necessary to get this chute full of coal up out of the car, in order to haul the car away and place another under the chute; and this must be done without spilling any of the coal;

This may be done very easily with this apparatus. The gate 39 'being closed, it is only necessary to raise the chute 25 enough to clear the car or boat. and since the gate39 is closed, no coal will flow out anywhere. The baflles 45 prevent lateral outflow. The uppermost bafiles 45 that are covered with coal will, when these bafiles are raised above the pocket -floor, prevent any coal from flowing into the pocket from the chute 25.

Inthe thus raised position, the chute is vreadyhfor another car (wheat to be placed thereunder, whereupon the chute full of coal may be lowered into the car until the lower end of the chute is at the bottom of the car,

iscompleted substantially without any spilling or fall or degradation of the coal.

When the pocket extension 20 contains much coal, and the top of the coal in the chute 25 is about at the same level as the top layer in the pocket extension, horizontal arches are formed in the coal with their abutments against the shoulders 29' (Fig. 2) at the sides of the open side 29, in the same manner as the arches 20 of Fig. 2 of my Patent No. 1,234,709. These serve to limit the flow from the pocket extension 20 to the top layer of the coal therein so that there is no grinding of the coal at the lower discharge edge of the extension.

Where the receptacle to be filled is wide, for instance, as the boat or barge 57 (Fig. 6) I provide a revoluble trimmer or trimmer chute 58. In this case, the main-chute 25 (Figs. 3 to 6) has an open squared bottom 59 across which is disposed a slide gate 60. A circular flange 61 (Fig. 4) formed around said bottom is provided with a peripheral annular groove 62 in which is received an inwardly disposed horizontal annular flange 63 rotatably engaged in the groove, and formed on'and carrying the trimmer chute 58, outwardly and downwardly inclined from said bottom, whereby the trimmer' chute may be disposed in any lateral direction to permit the material to be deposited in the boat, and if desired, to pile up in the chutes to preveat any falling or degradation of the mater1a By using my process as described herein, the chute employed may be simple and inex pensive, operates easily and with reliability and requires no extra care to keep in order, and at no time, if operated properly, will it permit the coal or other material to drop or fall any appreciable distance, thereby'reducing breakage to a minimum.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination, a delivery means and an. upright chute associated with, and relatively adjustable to, each other; said chute including means entirely fixedly mounted thereon admitting material from said 'delivery means into the chute at various positions of adjustment and preventing any material from flowing out of said chute intermediately thereof. I

open side; and means normally 2. An apparatus for loading flowable broken material, comprising means providing an upright passage .open at one side; means slidably associated with said first mentioned means introducing material laterally into said passage at various points of said fixedly mounted relative to the chute for holding piled up material therein from flowing out at said open side.

3. In combination, a delivery means; a longitudinally adjustable upright chute slidably associated with said means having an ,open side communicating with said means; and downwardly and inwardly inclined retaining plates at said open side forming a passage within the chute for admitting mate- I rial from said means into said passage.

4;. In combination, a delivery means and an upright chute associated with and relat vely adjustable to each other; said chute ineluding downwardly and inwardly inclined plates admitting material from said delivery I means into the chute at various positions of adjustment; the lower edge of each plate being lower than the upper edge of'the next plate below.

5. A vertical chute having an outer wall, side walls, an open side, and a vertical series of downwardly and inwardly inclined retaining plates secured fast between said side walls near said open side and spaced from said outer wall to form a vertical passage, the lower inner edge of each plate being below the level of the top edge of the next lower plate.

6. In combination, a delivery means ;a vertically adjustable chute having side walls, an outer wall, a gate at the bottom thereof and .an open side communicating with said .means; a vertlcal series of downwardly and inwardly inclined retaining plates secured fast between said side walls perpendicular thereto and extending nearl bottom of the chute, spaced rom said outer wall to form a vertical passage and near said vopensid'e, whereby the retaining platenearest- .the delivery means receives material therefrom and directs it into the vertical passage, thereby to fill the passage and pileup the material in the delivery means to prevent the flow of the material except as controlled by said gate and the material piling beneath the chute as the latter, initially at the bottom of a receptacle to be filled, is gradually raised; the lower inner edge of each plate being below the level of the top edge of the next lower plate, a distance depending upon the particular material, to prevent the material from flowing to the open side thereby providing a void at said side; said gate being opened after the chute is lowered to the bottom of the receptacle, whereupon the material is deposited upon the floor thereof the chute being gradually raised only as the from top to the chute at various positions of adjustment;

and means to deflect into the chute any material which falls between the delivery means and the retaining means.

8. In combination, a delivery means having a discharge edge; a vertically adjustable chute having a gate at the bottom thereof and an open side communicating with said means; a vertical series of retaining plates at said open side admitting material from said means and directing it into said passage, thereby to fill the passage; a deflecting baffle secured to theunder face of said discharge edge and downwardly extending slightly more than the vertical distance between the retaining plates and provided at its lower 'edge with an inwardly inclined deflecting lip, which just clears the retaining plates as the chute is raised, and which serves to deflect into the chute any material which may fall from the uppermost active retaining plates as the chute is raised.

9. In combination, a pocket having side walls and a delivery end; a vertically adj ustable main chute at said delivery end having side walls, an outer wall and an openside communicating with the exterior pocket; a slide gate at the bottom of said outer wall; a vertical series of downwardly and inwardly inclined retaining plates secured fast between said side walls near said open side, and spaced from said outer wall to form a vertical passage; and a deflecting baffle secured to the under face of said discharge edge and provided at the lower edge with an inwardly inclined deflecting lip which just clears the retainin g plates as the chute is raised.

10. In combination, a coal pocket having a forwardly slanting floor and a front wall having a lower delivery opening provided with a sliding door engaged in vertical guide ways; an outwardly and downwardly inclined extension pocket receiving material from the opening and having high side walls having projecting end edge portions proecting somewhat forwardly of the delivery edge of the floor of the exterior pocket; a vertically adjustable chute at the discharge 'end of the extension pocket and having a verticallg receiving the associated slide rail; andmeans admitting material from said delivery edge into the said open side at various positions of adjustment and preventing material from flowin out of said open side. a

11-. n combination, a pocket having side walls and a floor having a delivery edge; a

adjustable main chute at said delivery e ge having opposite side walls and an outer wall, an open side communicating with the extension pocket; and a vertical series of downwardly and inwardly inclined retaining plates secured fast between said side walls, near said open side and spaced from said outer'wall to form a vertical-passa e.

l2. In combination, a delivery means including projectin side walls; and an adjustable upright c ute in part between said walls and having an open side communicating with said means and means fixed to and connecting the edges of the chute at said open side.

lower part over the place where the materialis to be deposited; depositing the material until the material piles up and retards the outfiow raising the passage as said material is deposited; and continuing the introduction of material laterally at said same point when the passage is in raised position.

14. A method comprising introducing ma-- terial at a fixed point laterally into an upright straight passage disposed with its lower part at the place where the material is to be deposited; continuing the introduction of the material and holding the material in the passage until the passage is filled toa point where the introduction will be thereby retarded; gradually releasing. material at the bottom of the passage to cause the material to pile up and retard the-flow; raising the passage as said material piles up; and continuing the introduction of material at said point as the passage is raised.

15. An upright chute including means car ried by the chute admitting material laterally into the chute at any point longitudinally of the chute and preventing pile up material from flowing laterally out of said chute above the point of entrance.

16. In combination, a delivery means; and a chute upwardly and downwardly adjustably associated with said means and including a slanting bottom and means admitting material from said delivery means laterally into the chute at the upper end of said bottom and at intermediate positions of adjustment of the chute and preventing material from flowing out of said chute intermediately of the chute; and a closure at the lower edge of the slanting bottom.

17. In combination, a delivery means side walls; and. an upright straight chute upwardly and downwardly adjustable and associated with said means; inlet means admitting material laterally into the chute at any position longitudinally of the chute and preventing material from flowing laterally out of said chute; and means formingexterior shoulders on both sides of the inlet means between said walls.

18. An apparatus for lowering coal, coke and similar material, said apparatus com prising a delivery means; a chute adapted to receive material from the. delivery means and be lowered to the bottom of a 'car and having a lower discharge end; means i or lowering and raising the chute; and closure means carried by the chute substantially at the bottom of the chute and adapted tov deliver said material while maintaining the closure means stationary and to hold the material against discharge from the chute.

19. An apparatus for lowering coal, coke and similar material, said apparatus comprising a delivery means; a substantially upright chute adapted to be raised when full and to receive material from the delivery means, and having a lower discharge end adapted to be disposed in the bottom of a car or similar container; means for lowering the chute into said container and raising it therefrom when filled with coal as high as the delivery means; and gate means carried by the I bottom of the chute and closable while maintainin the bottom'of the chute lowered.

20. apparatus for lowering coal, coke and similar material, said apparatus comprising a delivery means; a substantially upright substantially vertical adjustable chute relative to the deliverymeans and adaptedto receive the material from said means laterally at the bottom of the chute and at intermediate parts ofthe chute; means for lowering and raisin the chute, while material is therein; said 0 ute having a discharge end disposable against the bottom of a car; and gate means carried by the chute substantially at said discharge end.

21. ,An apparatus for lowering coal, coke and similar material, said apparatus comprising a delivery means; a substantially upright substantially vertical chute adjustable relative to the dellvery means and adapted to receive the material from said means; means for lowering and raising the chute, while material is therein; gate means carried by the A chute substantially at said discharge end and adapted to hold material against discharge from said chute when the chute is lowered into or raised from a car; and means for preventing the flow of material from the part of said chute which is above said delivery means when the chute is raised high enough to bring the material in the chute-above the delivery means.

22. An apparatus for lowering coal, coke.

and similar material, said apparatus comprising a delivery means; a substantially upright substantially vertical adjustable chute relative to the delivery means and adapted to receive the material from said means; means for lowering and raising the chute, while material is therein; and means for preventing the flow of material from said chute, when the chute is raised high enough to bring the material in the chute above the dellvery means.

23. A method of lowering coal, coke and like material, said method comprising disposing a substantially upright passage filled with the material with the lower part of the passage at the place where the material is to be deposited; releasing the material from the lower part of the passage and depositing the material until it piles up and retards the flow from the passage; continuing the introduction of material as withdrawal takes place; and gradually raising the passage as the material is thus piled up slowly enough to permit further flow retarded by the piled up mate rial until the desired quantity of material is deposited.

24. An apparatus comprising a chute adapted to be lowered to the bottom of a car and slowly raised therefrom; said chute having a discharge opening at its lower end; and a gate for said opening; said apparatus when the gate is open, being substantially free of any structure extending below said opening, whereby when the openlng is at the bottom of the car, initially discharged coal will immediately stop the flow, without any fall of the coal, and whereby when the chute is slowly raised, piled up coal will automatically retard the flow.

Signed at New York in the county of New York and State of New York'this 18th day of January A. D. 1927.

HENRY ADAMS. 

